Behind You, Beside You
by DarkestCornerOfMyMind
Summary: Makoto has been with Haruka for so long, it's almost hard to see him as different from other kids. But other kids don't like Haruka, and Makoto will do everything to make sure Haruka doesn't notice. Takes place during elementary school years.


_**Behind You, Beside You**_

As long as Tachibana Makoto could remember, his life had mainly centered around Nanase Haruka.

Being childhood friends, he supposed that it was quite natural for them to do everything together. So when Haruka had decided to join a swimming club for elementary school kids, Makoto had cheerfully signed up as well, unaware of how terrified he would later become of the water.

The ocean's vastness itself had intimidated him, but now he knew there was something lurking underneath the clear surface. It was the same thing that had dragged down that fishermen's boat and sent its occupants to a watery grave. Makoto remembered gripping tightly to Haruka at the time, as well as Haruka's rare look of worry.

But Haruka still wanted to be together with the water. Makoto still wanted to be together with Haruka.

Maybe it was because he had been together with Haruka for far too long, but he never realized how _different_ Haruka was from everyone else. He heard his classmates and his swim team members secretly whisper among themselves of how _strange_ Nanase Haruka was.

Okay, maybe his tendency to strip whenever he came near water was a _little_ weird. It didn't matter if it was a fish tank or a puddle on the road. Haruka would strip down to his boxers (he didn't have the tendency to wear his swim trunks all the time yet) and stare at the water, as if contemplating how to best submerge himself. It was always Makoto, who was constantly praised by his parents for having good common sense, who would leap to Haruka's side and pull him away. He wondered if this was what a lifeguard felt like.

But it wasn't as if Haruka was particularly unkind or unfeeling. Maybe he was a little more stoic than other people and he spoke less than others did. When people spoke to him and Haruka didn't reply, it wasn't that Haruka was being rude, it was just that Haruka wasn't sure of what to say. Makoto had long ago realized that Haruka felt uncomfortable speaking to strangers.

So, as his duty as a childhood friend urged him, he spoke up for Haruka for often. He became sociable and cheerful for Haruka's sake so that most of the attention would be on him, not his antisocial best friend. He learned how to read Haruka's facial expressions and emotional cues, just so that Haruka wouldn't have to talk. Maybe he was being too interfering or nosy, but he did love Haruka dearly and he wanted to protect him.

It would have helped though, he would admit to himself, that if Haruka's traits had stopped at being crazy about water and unsociable, his life would have been much easier. What was the kicker though, was that Haruka was pretty much _perfect_ at everything he put his mind to. It didn't matter if it was studies, cooking, art, or swimming. Haruka liked them all, and as a result he was good at them without too much effort.

It roused the jealousy of some of the other boys their age, something that Makoto noticed and worried about and something that Haruka probably noticed but ignored. The other boys would complain that just because Nanase happened to be good at (_swimming, cooking, art, studies, anything that he shows talent for_), he thinks that he could strut around and look down on others. Makoto was pretty sure that Haruka didn't _strut_, and he was pretty sure that he never looked down on others either. In fact, Makoto could safely say that Haruka cared much more about his classmates than Makoto himself did. Makoto really only concerned himself with Haruka and had a hard time remembering any of their classmates names. Haruka, on the other hand, could recite the class's entire seating order using first names only. Haruka definitely cared.

So it was heartbreaking, to say the least, when P.E. class started to use the school pool. Haruka had shot out of the classroom so fast that he almost smacked his face into the door when he couldn't open it fast enough. Fortunately, Makoto had the sense to call, "Haru-chan, the door!" before Haruka got there midway. Makoto quickly changed too and hurried after him.

The moment he got to the fence surrounding the pool, he realized that both he and Haruka had forgotten their towels. Haruka had already dived into the water so Makoto took it upon himself to fetch them.

The scene in the classroom was something that he should have eventually expected. Three boys, ones that Makoto was pretty sure that they sat in front of both him and Haruka, were crowded around Haruka's desk, roughly rummaging through his personal items. Haruka's dark blue towel fell out from his bag and one of the boys snatched it up, crowing in excitement.

First Makoto saw the scissors. Then all he saw was red.

It was exceedingly rare for Makoto to get angry enough to actually do something, but then again he had no real reason to get angry before.

He had heard, though, that it was scariest when the quiet guys snapped.

Makoto had lunged forward and grabbed both the hand holding the towel and the hand holding the scissors. Both of the boys yelped in shock, while the third boy had jumped backwards in surprise. "Ta-Tachibana!" one of them squeaked. Makoto didn't know any of their names, but he didn't exactly care right now.

"What do you guys think you're doing?" he asked softly, his bangs hiding his green eyes. There was no instant reply. He _squeezed_, and he felt both of the boys wince in pain. "I said, _what do you think you're doing__?__"_

"Let go!" one of the boys protested, vainly trying to wriggle his arm out of Makoto's tight grip. But Makoto was strong, much stronger than any child his age. His big build was proof of that. He merely squeezed tighter. The scissors clattered to the ground. The towel fluttered down after it.

Makoto let go of their wrists to scoop both of them up. He gently folded the towel into a perfect square and tenderly laid it on top of Haruka's desk. The scissors, however, stayed in his hand.

The two boys who had experienced Makoto's strength firsthand backed away towards the door. The third, however, in some sort of stupid bravado, came forward and slammed a hand down on Haruka's desk, right next to the towel. "It's none of your business! Stop trying to play hero or whatever, Tachibana! Nanase probably looks down on you too - "

There was a loud banging noise and the boy's eyes locked on to the sharp scissor tip quivering between his fingers, dangerously close to his flesh. He let out a strangled whimper and scuttled away towards his friends, who were grouped by the door.

"Get out," Makoto said, his back towards them. He was trembling from both exertion and rage.

One of the boys unwisely chose to speak out, "But - "

Makoto had always been insecure about his height and stature, too large for a boy with such a childish face. But he never felt for grateful for them now as he whirled around and drew himself up to his full height, green eyes glowing with anger. "I said, _GET OUT!_"

Without further ado, the three boys tripped over each other as they scrambled out of the classroom. Makoto let his chest heave for a while, slowly relaxing his tense shoulders. He turned to yank the scissors out of the wood and breathed deeply in a final effort to calm himself down. Just as he bent over to put the scissors in his desk, he heard a voice

"Makoto?"

Makoto jumped and almost overturned his desk in surprise. "Haru-chan!"

"Drop the 'chan'," Haruka said automatically. His eyes swept over his towel lying on his desk, to Makoto's guilty face, to his hand in the desk. "... What are you even doing here?"

"Oh, we both forgot out towels so I came to get them..." Makoto faltered as his eyes widened with shock. Haruka was forming a puddle at his feet with all the water dripping off of him. "Haru-chan! You're getting the floor wet!" grabbing the blue towel, he hurried over and began to dry Haruka off. "Honestly, don't wander around like that! You'll catch a cold!" he scolded lightly as he rubbed at his best friend's hair. He failed to notice Haruka's calculating blue eyes on his face as he continued to lecture his friend like a mother hen.

"Makoto," Haruka interrupted his rant with a wet hand to his cheek. "What's wrong?"

The green-eyed boy stopped speaking abruptly as he gazed at Haruka. Then, with his usual gentle smile, he replied, "Nothing, Haru-chan."

"Like I said, drop the 'chan'."

If Haruka noticed the odd dent in his desk afterwards, he never mentioned it, nor did he mention he had noticed Makoto's absence from the pool which was why he had been worried enough to leave his beloved water and go searching for him. Makoto himself recognized both of these points and was grateful. Nobody really bothered Haruka anymore, not after rumors had been passed around about the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing, Tachibana Makoto. Oddly enough, Haruka had never heard or noticed these rumors. Nor did he ever comment if Makoto would mysteriously disappear for a few minutes and later come back with his usual smile as if nothing had transpired. They would walk to school and to home and to the swim club, side by side as normal.

Makoto merely did what he could to protect Haruka had all times, that was all. Nothing more, nothing less, though he ensured that Haruka would never know about exactly what he did to protect him.

_Behind you or beside you, I'll always be with you, guarding you until the last._

* * *

I rather like the idea of a Haruka-obsessed or yandere! Makoto. I think it would be a refreshing slap to the face if he ever revealed his 'true colors' if he's not showing them already.

Or maybe I'm a masochist. Am I a masochist?


End file.
